Sanaa Models !!top!! Now

After damage during the 2015 conflict, a 6 m² model of Old Sana’a was restored. Its unusual feature: revealing interior room functions (ground-floor diwan for men, upper mafraj for evening qat-chewing sessions). The model includes miniature sila (water jars) and tanoor ovens—details absent from most Western architectural models. This model now serves as a remote documentation tool for scholars unable to visit Yemen.

Unlike many firms that use models only for client presentations, SANAA employs models at every phase of a project. sanaa models

The old city of Sana’a, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is famous for its towering rammed-earth and brick tower-houses adorned with intricate gypsum qamariyyat (moon windows). This paper explores the underappreciated tradition of —detailed physical replicas of these structures and urban blocks. Used for everything from artisan apprenticeships to heritage conservation and museum curation, these models encapsulate the spatial logic, material culture, and social stratification of one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. We argue that Sana’a models are not mere miniatures but cognitive maps and political tools for cultural survival. After damage during the 2015 conflict, a 6

For this wave-like structure, SANAA used models to harmonize complex forms with social function, treating the architecture as a "park" where people can move intuitively. This model now serves as a remote documentation

| Scale | Representation | Craft Materials | Primary User | |-------|---------------|----------------|--------------| | | Whole neighborhood (e.g., Al-Talh market) | Cardboard, palm frond ribs, sand-tinted paint | Urban planners, UNESCO consultants | | 1:50 | Single tower-house interior/exterior | Baked clay bricks (miniature), real gypsum | Architects, wealthy families, museum display | | 1:10 | Detail: Qamariyya (moon window) & Mafraj (top-floor reception room) | Clear plastic (mica substitute), turned wood | Artisan training, heritage workshops |